How to be a meaningful brand? Google could give you answers, but no solutions. Erik Saelens, Brandhome's Founder and Executive Strategic Director, spoke at Get tomorrow in Helsinki, Finland. He shared his vision of what we at Brandhome call “purpose conscious” media. In a world where anxiety is up and trust is down, media need to become more aware of the fundamental role they play in supporting brands in their quest to become and remain meaningful.

1. GET TOMORROW
HELSINKI, FINLAND | 12 - 10 - 2017
ERIK SAELENS

2. ERIK SAELENS
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR BRANDHOME
43 YEARS
LIVES IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM
MARRIED, 2 DAUGHTERS
MOTTO: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

3. WHY MEANINGFUL BRANDS
NEED PURPOSE CONSCIOUS (MASS) MEDIA

4. Q = QUESTION ERIK - FLEMISH
A = ANSWER MRS. X - FINNISH
Q: I LOVE INTERACTIVITY WITH THE AUDIENCE
A: THAT DOES NOT WORK WELL IN FINLAND
Q: WHY?
A: FINS DON’T TALK, THEY TWITTER

6. PERHAPS BETTER TALK?

7. WHY ARE ALL OF US HERE TODAY?

8. IMPACT
BUSINESS
BRANDS
SOCIETY
CULTURE
PEOPLE
FUTURE
…

16. BLEAKNESS

17. WHY MEANINGFUL BRANDS
NEED PURPOSE CONSCIOUS (MASS) MEDIA

18. MOKUSATSU

19. IF THE CONFUSION IN NUCLEAR SCIENCE
WOULD BE 5% OF WHAT IT IS IN OUR BUSINESS,
THEN THE WORLD WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED
BY AN ATOMIC DISASTER ALREADY A LONG TIME AGO

20. BRAND
MEANINGFUL
PURPOSE
CONSCIOUS
(MASS)MEDIA

21. MEDIA IS…

22. THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION,
AS RADIO AND TELEVISION, NEWSPAPERS,
MAGAZINES, AND THE INTERNET,
THAT REACH OR INFLUENCE PEOPLE WIDELY
MERRIAM-WEBSTER

23. ANY ENABLER* THAT GUARANTEES YOU
A TRUSTED CARRY OVER OF YOUR MESSAGE
* ANYTHING: A TOOL, A THING, A PERSON…
ERIK SAELENS

24. A BRAND IS…

25. A STORY
IN YOUR BRAIN

27. SIMILARITIES?

28. DIFFERENCES?

29. PRICE SPAN?

30. A BRAND IS AN IMMATERIAL ASSET

31. CREATES INELASTICITY

32. MUCH MORE THAN A NAME
MUCH MORE THAN A LOGO
MUCH MORE THAN AN ADVERT
A BRAND IS MUCH MORE

33. A BELIEF SYSTEM

34. A BRAND IS
A BELIEF SYSTEM
WHERE PEOPLE
REWARD YOU WITH
INELASTICITY IF
YOU KNOW HOW
TO BE MEANINGFUL
TO THEIR LIVES

35. BRAND
MEANINGFUL
PURPOSE
CONSCIOUS
(MASS)MEDIA

36. MEANINGFUL
PURPOSE
CONSCIOUS

37. MEANINGFUL
MAKING A DIFFERENCE/BE RELEVANT
PURPOSE
THE REASON WHY SOMETHING IS DONE/CREATED/EXISTS
CONSCIOUS
BEING AWARE/RESPONDING TO ONE’S SURROUNDINGS

39. VALIO GROUP CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, VALUES AND OPERATING POLICY
COMPANY
Our mission: We create well-being and taste sensations responsibly.
Our values: Personal responsibility; Listening to customers and consumers, and exceeding their expectations; Caring for
people, animals and the environment, succeeding together.
Our goal: International profitable growth with world class value added.
Promise Implementation
We promote Finnish milk production. We pay all our profit to our owners, Finnish dairy farmer entrepreneurs.
From our owners’ perspective, the goal is to pay the highest raw milk price in
Europe to the owner entrepreneurs.
We generate financial well-being in
Finland.
In 2015, Valio Group generated income of over one billion euros in Finland.
We employ directly and indirectly around 30,000 Finns.
We secure the vitality of the countryside in Finland.
We favour domestic suppliers whenever feasible in terms of quality,
availability, and sustainable business.
We have identified and take our
stakeholders’ expectations into
account in our business operations.
We take our stakeholders’ expectations into account in the development of our
business operations.
We grant, on consideration, political subsidies according to the equality
principle, to candidates who we believe act in a manner that promotes Valio’s
business environment.
We have reviewed our operations’ value chain and societal impact, and update
the goals for responsible operations on the basis thereof.
We have identified risks in our
business operations and manage them
accordingly.
We continuously develop risk evaluation and management procedures to
ensure the safety of products and operations, and the continuity of business
operations.
We regularly map, working together with insurance companies, the accident
risks related to our business operations and production plants. The risks have
been insured in accordance with Valio’s insurance guidelines.
We take the continuity of our business operations into account, on a broad
front, especially in milk steering, and in securing the operation of production
and commodities systems.
To handle exceptional situations, we have drawn up plans for product recalls,
crisis communications, and production rearrangement, as well as specific
restart plans for the production plants.
We comply with the ten principles of
the UN Global Compact, and
consequently the following:
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
ILO Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work
Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development
United Nations Convention Against
Corruption
In all our operations, we are committed to the core values related to human
rights, principles at work, the environment, and anti-corruption activities, in
accordance with those declarations.
We comply with Finnish and EU
legislation as well as contracts made
with our customers in domestic and
international sales.
Countries in which we have our own company we comply with local legislation
and contracts made with our customers.
We continuously monitor the legislation and ensure ongoing compliance in our
operations.
Our communication is timely, truthful and interactive.
We do not disclose Valio’s or its partners’ business secrets.

41. TIP: READ THE BOOK & CREATE YOUR OWN VISION
WWW.BRANDHOME.COM/BOOKS
THE MARKETING OF MEANING
WHY PURPOSE MARKETS ITSELF

42. LET’S TALK ABOUT
THE MEDIA PART

43. HOLISTIC CONCEPT,
FRAMEWORK FOR INSPIRATION
ON HOW MEDIA SHOULD LOOK AT
PEOPLE BUYING & BUILDING THE BRAND

44. MEDIA THAT SUPPORT
MEANINGFUL BRANDS
=
PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA

45. CONSCIOUS MEDIA

46. ALL MEDIA
- REACH
- TECHNOLOGY LED
- DATA DRIVEN
- CONTENT
- EFFICIENCY
- SAFETY
- CONVERGENCE
- LOGIC
- EXCLUSIVE
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE DEPENDENCY
PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
?

47. ALL PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA,
ARE MEDIA
BUT NOT ALL MEDIA,
ARE PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA

48. HOW MANY COMMERCIAL MESSAGES
DO WE RECEIVE EVERY DAY?

49. 3.500

50. 3.500 MESSAGES EQUALS:
4 MESSAGES
EVERY
MINUTE
1 MESSAGES
EVERY
15 SECONDS
=

51. HOW MANY OF YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR
SMARTPHONES ON THE NIGHTSTAND?

52. COMMERCIAL MESSAGES ARE EVERYWHERE

53. COMMERCIAL MESSAGES ARE EVERYWHERE

54. COMMERCIAL MESSAGES ARE EVERYWHERE

55. 90% OF ALL DATA IN THE WORLD HAS BEEN
GENERATED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS
TRUE OR FALSE

56. 28% OF OFFICE WORKERS’ TIME
IS SPENT DEALING WITH EMAILS
TRUE OR FALSE

57. THE GOOD NEWS:
OUR CAPABILITY OF PROCESSING INFORMATION HAS INCREASED
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 …
CONSUMABLE CONTENT

58. OUR BODIES ARE EVOLVING TO ADAPT TO OUR CONTEXT

59. 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
PERCEIVED
OPPORTUNITY}
ACTUAL
OPPORTUNITY}
…
THE BAD NEWS: WE CAN’T KEEP UP WITH
THE IMMENSE INCREASE OF INFORMATION PRODUCED

60. INABILITY TO ABSORB
AND PROCESS ALL
THE INFORMATION TO
WHICH WE ARE EXPOSED
INFOBESITY

61. STRESS-RELATED ILLNESS CONTRIBUTES
UP TO 30 SICK DAYS A YEAR
INFORMATION
OVERLOAD
THE FACTS
INFORMATION OVERLOAD COSTS THE
U.S. ECONOMY $900 BILLION A YEAR
42% ATTRIBUTED ILL-HEALTH
TO THIS STRESS
{

62. INFORMATION
FATIGUE
SYNDROM (IFS)
IF GIVEN TOO MUCH INFORMATION
WE TEND TO SHUT DOWN
INFOBESITY

63. INFORMATION FATIGUE SYNDROM (IFS)
BURNOUTPOOR
CONCENTRATION
TRANCELIKE STATE
COMPULSION TO
STAY CONNECTED
LOWER IMMUNE
RESPONSE
HOSTILITYDEPRESSION

64. € 200.000.000.000= THE BUDGET SPENT ON OVERLOADING PEOPLE WITH INFORMATION

65. EVENTUALLY, WE WILL FIND
A CURE FOR CANCER

66. BUT, WE WON’T FIND
A CURE FOR IFS

67. ARE MEDIA RESPONSIBLE?
“WHAT IF WE DON’T CHANGE AT ALL… AND SOMETHING MAGICAL JUST HAPPENS?”

68. FIND A WAY TO MAKE PEOPLE DEAL WITH
THE OVERLOAD OF INFORMATION
DECREASE INFORMATION IN QUANTITY
INCREASE INFORMATION IN QUALITY
QUALITY > QUANTITY

69. RELEVANCE
PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA ARE

70. PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
- RELEVANCE
ALL MEDIA
- REACH
- TECHNOLOGY LED
- DATA DRIVEN
- CONTENT
- EFFICIENCY
- SAFETY
- CONVERGENCE
- LOGIC
- EXCLUSIVE
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE DEPENDENCY

71. PENICILLIN
PACEMAKERS
PLASTICS
VIAGRA
POST-IT-NOTES
TEABAGS

72. ERRORS
CREATIVITY
INNOVATION
PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA ARE

73. PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
- RELEVANCE
- ERRORS
- CREATIVITY
ALL MEDIA
- REACH
- TECHNOLOGY LED
- DATA DRIVEN
- CONTENT
- EFFICIENCY
- SAFETY
- CONVERGENCE
- LOGIC
- EXCLUSIVE
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE DEPENDENCY

75. TODAY’S SCIENTISTS
HAVE SUBSTITUTED MATHEMATICS FOR EXPERIMENTS,
AND THEY WANDER OFF
THROUGH EQUATION AFTER EQUATION,
AND EVENTUALLY BUILD A STRUCTURE
WHICH HAS NO RELATION TO REALITY

76. AUTOMATION <> ASSIMILATION
… IT’S A THIN LINE THAT SETS THEM APART

78. WHO IS THE RHYTHM
BEHIND THE ALGORITHM

80. BENETTON AD AS IT WAS

81. LIMITED REAL
BLOODSTAINED
T-SHIRT
REAL
COMBAT
PANTS
BENETTON AD AS IT WOULD BE DESIGNED BY A COMPUTER

82. LIMITED REAL
BLOODSTAINED
T-SHIRT
REAL
COMBAT
PANTS

83. PEOPLE SHARE EMOTIONS
NOT ALGORITHMS

84. LOOK AT THIS LOVELY
COMMERCIAL OF A BABY

85. LOOK AT THIS COOL ALGORITHM
THAT HAS BEEN FOLLOWING ME
FOR DAYS NOW

86. BEING EFFICIENT IS ABOUT
DOING THINGS RIGHT
BEING EFFECTIVE IS ABOUT
DOING THE RIGHT THINGS

87. EFFECTIVENESS
DIVERGENCE
FLUID INTELLIGENCE
PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA ARE

88. PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
- RELEVANCE
- EFFECTIVENESS
- ERRORS
- DIVERGENCE
- CREATIVITY
- FLUID INTELLIGENCE
ALL MEDIA
- REACH
- TECHNOLOGY LED
- DATA DRIVEN
- CONTENT
- EFFICIENCY
- SAFETY
- CONVERGENCE
- LOGIC
- EXCLUSIVE
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE DEPENDENCY

92. FAKE NEWS
RELEASED
CORRECTION
NEWS
FACT CHECKING
13 HOURS
HOW LONG?

93. LAUNCH NUCLEAR MISSILE
4 MINUTES
HOW LONG?

94. TIPPING POINT

96. LIEMYTHLEGENDTRUTH
TALES
STORIES

97. PEOPLE FIRST TRUST PEOPLE
THEN THEY TRUST
THE STORIES THEY TELL
THEN THEY TRUST BRANDS
ERIK SAELENS

98. FAKE NEWS X INFORMATION OVERLOAD =
{DIS-INTEREST IN MEDIA
DIS-INTEREST IN BRANDS

99. WHAT’S THE DEFINITION OF
HONEST MEDIA?
AN HONEST JOURNALIST?

102. FACTS + INTERPRETATION
= TRIPLE-A STORIES
= TRIPLE-A JOURNALISM

103. - GOOD STORIES
- NEED TO BE TRIPLE-A
- AUTHENTIC
- ACCOUNTABLE
- ACTIVATING

104. TAKE THE FAKE OUT

105. TRUTH
FACT DRIVEN
PEOPLE LED
PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA ARE

106. PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
- RELEVANCE
- PEOPLE LED
- FACT DRIVEN
- TRUTH
- EFFECTIVENESS
- ERRORS
- DIVERGENCE
- CREATIVITY
- FLUID INTELLIGENCE
ALL MEDIA
- REACH
- TECHNOLOGY LED
- DATA DRIVEN
- CONTENT
- EFFICIENCY
- SAFETY
- CONVERGENCE
- LOGIC
- EXCLUSIVE
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE DEPENDENCY

107. WHO THINKS THESE BRANDS
CAN GO BANKRUPT?

108. GOOGLE

109. FACEBOOK

110. AMAZON

111. USURPERS

113. SCARCE VALUE

114. WHAT SCARCE ITEM
COMES AFTER CLEAN AIR,
CLEAN WATER AND TIME?

115. PRIVACY
THE RIGHT/PRIVILEGE TO BE FORGOTTEN

116. SEARCH MARKET SHARE
GOOGLE
92%
BING
3%
YAHOO
2%

117. TELCO & PRIVACY

118. BRANDHOMEEXPERIENCECURVE®
F EF
brand/productexperience
low high
-
+
lowinvolvement
:functional
:emotional
highinvolvement
+experience
-experience
DANGERZONE
COMMODITIZATION PRESSURE
ADDED-VALUE
F E
F
F E
FF E
FF E
EFF E
F E
F
FE

119. MONEY CAN
CHANGE THE WORLD

120. NOT BECAUSE OF THE FEW
THAT HAVE THE MOST MONEY
BUT BECAUSE OF THE MOST
THAT HAVE THE FEW MONEY

121. WE DECIDE
WHERE THE MONEY GOES

126. CONCENTRATION OF POWER IS…

129. WE SHAPE OUR BUILDINGS
THEREAFTER THEY SHAPE US
WINSTON CHURCHILL

130. WE SHAPE OUR BRANDS
THEREAFTER THEY SHAPE US

131. WE ARE HUMAN
IF WE CAN DREAM IT
WE CAN CHANGE IT

132. COGNITIVE INDEPENDENCY
INCLUSIVE
HUMAN
PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA ARE

133. PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
- RELEVANCE
- PEOPLE LED
- FACT DRIVEN
- TRUTH
- EFFECTIVENESS
- ERRORS
- DIVERGENCE
- CREATIVITY
- INCLUSIVE
- FLUID INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE INDEPENDENCY
IT’S HUMAN
ALL MEDIA
- REACH
- TECHNOLOGY LED
- DATA DRIVEN
- CONTENT
- EFFICIENCY
- SAFETY
- CONVERGENCE
- LOGIC
- EXCLUSIVE
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE DEPENDENCY
IT’S A MACHINE

134. PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
- RELEVANCE
- PEOPLE LED
- FACT DRIVEN
- TRUTH
- EFFECTIVENESS
- ERRORS
- DIVERGENCE
- CREATIVITY
- INCLUSIVE
- FLUID INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE INDEPENDENCY
?

135. PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
- RELEVANCE
- PEOPLE LED
- FACT DRIVEN
- TRUTH
- EFFECTIVENESS
- ERRORS
- DIVERGENCE
- CREATIVITY
- INCLUSIVE
- FLUID INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE INDEPENDENCY
?
?
?

136. PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
- RELEVANCE
- PEOPLE LED
- FACT DRIVEN
- TRUTH
- EFFECTIVENESS
- ERRORS
- DIVERGENCE
- CREATIVITY
- INCLUSIVE
- FLUID INTELLIGENCE
- COGNITIVE INDEPENDENCY
?
?

137. WHAT’S THE VALUE OF FREE?

139. FREE CONTENT CAN’T BE TRUE
TRUE CONTENT CAN’T BE FREE
NO TRUTH, NO MEANING
“INFORMATION WANTS TO BE FREE” DILEMMA
BUT AT WHAT (IN)DIRECT COST

140. THE VALUE OF THE SWEET SPOT

141. HIGH TRUST
LOW TRUST
HIGH REACHLOW REACH
VALUE
PROTECT IT
FAKE
KILL IT
PRAY FOR HELP
FORGOT IT
NICHE
LEVERAGE IT

142. LOW TRUST
HIGH TRUST
PEOPLE
STORIES
BRANDS
ALL MEDIA
SOCIAL MEDIA
SWEET SPOT OF PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA

143. BRANDHOMEEXPERIENCECURVE®
F EF
brand/productexperience
low high
-
+
lowinvolvement
:functional
:emotional
highinvolvement
+experience
-experience
DANGERZONE
COMMODITIZATION PRESSURE
ADDED-VALUE
F E
F
F E
FF E
FF E
EFF E
F E
F
FE

144. CREATES INELASTICITY

145. MEANINGFUL BRANDS (SHOULD) EXPECT
FROM PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
& VICE VERSA
10 THINGS

146. WE UNDERSTAND YOU WANT TO MAKE MONEY
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT FOR US MONEY IS A
BY-PRODUCT OF WHAT WE DO, OUR PURPOSE
01.

147. WE UNDERSTAND THAT JOURNALISM PROTECTS
THE REALM OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
ALTHOUGH IT IS YOUR BURDEN,
IT IS AND SHOULD BE THE CLOSEST TO THE FACTS
IF CONTENT MAKERS* ARE UNTRUSTED, SO ARE WE
*JOURNALISTS & OTHERS
02.

148. RESPECT THE PRIVACY OF OUR CUSTOMERS
$MART DATA = BIG DATA ACCEPTED BY OUR CUSTOMERS
03.

149. THE BEST CREATIVE MEDIA WORK
IS NEVER SHOWN
TAKE OUR FEAR AWAY
* ORGANISE THE FESTIVAL FOR THE NEVER-SHOWN WORK
04.

150. THE NEXT 50 YEARS
WE WILL NEED LOCAL MEDIA MORE THAN EVER
TO BUILD THE MENTAL STRETCH
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND GLOBALISATION
…AND KEEP THE PEACE
05.

151. 19h30 up to basketball training by car:
CITROÊN BERLINGO, outfit shoes AIR JORDAN
VI, shorts CHAMPION, T-shirt NIKE, after
training, have a drink in the cafeteria 1 ice tea
green LIPTON, 1 COCA-COLA, preferably in a
green COCA COLA bottle
07h30 wake up when music
alarm NOKIA mobile goes off,
playing Don McLean’s American
Pie; put on ADIDAS slippers;
cornflakes for breakfast: All-
Bran Fruit n Fibre KELLOGS with
everyday milk (COLRUYT);
reading GAZET VAN ANTWERPEN
08h00 showering: shower gel ALDI,
shampoo HEAD & SHOULDERS, tooth
brushing SENSODYNE, with toothbrush
AQUAFRESH, deodorant DOVE, getting
dressed, underpants C&A or HEMA,
socks PUMA or ZEEMAN, trousers H&M,
T-shirt VOLCOM, Shoes Air Max 1 NIKE,
Hoodie DICKIES, Jacket Fred Perry
08h30 off to BRANDHOME by tram
DE LIJN using BUZZY PASS, put in a
FOSSIL wallet
09h00 arrive at BRANDHOME, drink a
cup of PICKWICK tea, switch on APPLE
computer, make pictures with NIKON
camera, listen to radio: STUDIO
BRUSSEL
13h00 lunch, sandwiches (bread from PANOS),
with LEERDAMMER cheese, ham, groceries and
DEVOS LEMMENS mayonnaise
18h00 go home by tram, playing NOKIA game
18h30 pizza bolognaise DR. OETKER and
SUNLAND juice, internet laptop HEWLETT
PACKARD, operating system WINDOWS 7,
checking mail at MSN MESSENGER &
HOTMAIL, home page GOOGLE, check
FACEBOOK
22h00 meet friends to play golf
on the WII or a poker evening
with CARTAMUNDI poker set and
POKESTARS cards / 23.30h
midnight snack banana
CHIQUITA, yogurt DANONE
19h00 news report at EEN, reading HUMO

155. MEANINGFUL BRANDS
CHERISH DIFFERENCES
PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
AMPLIFY THIS
06.

156. MEANINGFUL BRANDS
LOVE PURPOSE CONSCIOUS MEDIA
AND VICE VERSA
BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WORKING AT THESE MEDIA
ARE INTRINSICALLY BETTER MOTIVATED
07.

157. WE EXPECT YOU TO BE ALWAYS THERE
WE DON’T EXPECT YOU TO BE ALWAYS ON
08.

158. MEANINGFUL BRANDS WILL DISCONTINUE
TO FUEL DUOPOLIS
NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY WANT TO
BUT BECAUSE THEIR CUSTOMERS WILL FORCE THEM
09.

159. LET’S GET MORE OUT OF LESS
YOU, WE & US
10.

161. UNTIL THEY BECOME CONSCIOUS
THEY WILL NEVER REBEL, AND
MEANINGFUL BRANDS CAN HELP
THEM BECOME CONSCIOUS
ERIK SAELENS

162. THANK YOU